


The Giant in the Woods

by tongue_spike



Category: Original Work
Genre: Fairy Tale Style, M/M, Marriage, Parent/Child Incest, Quests, age gap, enchantments and curses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26205610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tongue_spike/pseuds/tongue_spike
Summary: "Your son has run afoul of the Stone Woods, a cursed forest skirting the mountains to the north. He cannot get out without the aid of someone who loves him dearly. Someone must go fetch him."
Relationships: Fairy Tale King/His Son Trapped In An Enchantment, Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11
Collections: RelationShipping 2020





	The Giant in the Woods

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aspgold](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aspgold/gifts).



Once upon a time, there was a prince who was the only child of a widowed king. They had no other family save for the king's sister, who lived with them in the royal castle. When the prince was a very young boy, a powerful lord in the kingdom was arranging to be wed to a wealthy merchant's daughter. It was much spoken of at court, where the little prince was present. This was the first time he had heard of such a thing, and he went to his father to ask what a marriage was.

"When two people discover in each other the person they love most, they make a solemn vow to each other to remain faithful and together for the rest of their days. That vow is a marriage," his father replied.

The young prince thought on this. "Then I should marry you, for I love none so well as you."

The king laughed at his son's innocent interpretation of what he had said. "I love you as well, my son, but you will think differently when you are older. I'm no good fit for you."

The young prince did not agree, but he had no desire to quarrel with his father and he was sure the truth of the matter was obvious enough that no defense was needed.

In time, the prince learned the error of his thought, but this knowledge did not touch his heart. While he knew his father was not a proper spouse for him, his heart was set on no one else. If any were to suspect the truth of the prince's desires, he was sure it would cause grief—not least for his father—so the prince said nothing.

If he could not win his father's hand, he hoped to uphold the faith and love his father had for a son. The prince learned all the arts of battle and diplomacy, taking on noble quests and impossible tasks, all in the hope of bringing renown to their kingdom and his father's name.

He could see his father was well pleased, and though his heart longed for so much more, the prince tried to be content with this.

Upon a time, the king held a grand tournament where all knights of worth were welcomed to challenge their skills against each other in jousting, swordsmanship, and archery. Not wanting special treatment, the prince disguised himself as a foreign knight and fought in this tournament. Over the span of three days, he defeated all who opposed him.

There was much speculation over who this mysterious knight could be, and the king was not immune to curiosity. The prince had arranged that he would supposedly be away, so the king did not suspect the truth. For three days, the king saw a man full-grown into his strength who fought with the fierceness of a wolf, the swiftness of a hart, the precision of a falcon, the cunning of a fox, and the courage of a lion. At the nightly celebrations, the masked knight was unfailingly courteous and friendly. He regaled the assembled with wit and wisdom, and for the first time in decades, the king entertained the idea of new love. He had had no companion for himself since his wife had died, and his son was now often gone on long quests.

The king was lonely. In the company of this mysterious knight, he thought how he might rectify his isolation.

It came to naught, of course, as the prince revealed his ruse. He did so only to the king, leaving the mysterious knight an unknown legend for the rest of the kingdom. The king understood his son's motives and forgave him his deception. He was relieved not to have said anything of his own desires, but he was secretly disappointed in the lost opportunity. He saw his son in a new light after this charade, a light he vowed would never be revealed.

Not many years after this tournament, the prince was again away on errantry. Word had reached the king of his son's latest triumph, and he was expected home any day. But the days dragged by slowly and still the prince did not return. The king sent out several waves of scouts, but all returned with the same news: the prince had disappeared and there was no sign of what had happened.

For a year, the king was left in doubt. He feared the worst, and his heart was heavy with grief. He had only his sister for company, but there was nothing she could say to ease his burden.

One day, the princess cajoled her brother to walk with her in the royal gardens, in the hope of distracting him from his worries for a time. By chance, they saw a silver raven with a tiny bell around its neck sitting upon the garden wall.

"What a strange bird," the princess said.

"Strange indeed!" the bird replied, indignantly.

"My pardon," the princess replied. "Your like is not common here."

"I should think not. I have come very far with a message for the king."

"Have you news of my son?" the king asked.

"I have. Your son has run afoul of the Stone Woods, a cursed forest skirting the mountains to the north. He cannot get out without the aid of someone who loves him dearly. Someone must go fetch him." Having said its piece, the bird took wing and flew north.

"I must go at once," the king said, and would have raced to the stables to do just that if the princess had not stayed him.

"Wait, brother. I pray, wait. Something more moves here than seems. Why should your son go anywhere near the Stone Woods? He was far from there when last we heard of him, and he knows better than to venture towards the northern mountains. What could have tempted him that way? Or what could have taken him there? Be not hasty. There is trickery afoot."

"Trickery, yes, but what of it? What is there to my life if my son is gone from it? You of all people must see the grievous wound I have suffered at his absence. If there is a chance to rectify that, I must take it."

The princess had indeed seen his pain. She had seen more than that. She had stood by her brother's side through all the years of his reign. She knew that there would be no joy for the king if he were forever parted from his son, just as there would be none for her nephew if the reverse were true. The king would endure for duty's sake, but the princess loved her brother and nephew too well to stand for that alone.

"Yes, you must go. I cannot constrain you, nor would I try. But take my counsel. I foresee that if you go, you will not return. Any companion you take will meet a foul end. You will be without horse, sword, or crown by the end."

"So be it. I would give up my kingdom, my life, my very soul if only my son were safe."

With his sister's advice, the king garbed himself in simple traveler's dress. He set aside crown and purse, and selected a sure-footed farm horse rather than the great royal stallions that usually carried knights.

As he was a good king, he settled affairs before he went so that his sister would be ordained queen in a year's time. They both hoped that he would succeed and return with the prince, but they both felt that it would not be so. The king had only a year's time before his sister would rule, but he did not begrudge her that. He knew his kingdom was in the best of hands, so he felt no pang of regret as he set off on the road alone.

It was a long journey to the northern mountains. The woodland was sparse at first, growing denser the further he went. He was deep in the trees when he came upon a sudden change in the woods around him. As far as the eye could see, the mighty oaks and elms were abruptly replaced by twisted and rotted trees, covered in thorns but denuded of leaves.

His horse refused to go into the foul forest. After unbridling the beast, the king let it go free and continued on foot. The twisted woods were eerily quiet—free of bird calls and leaves rustling or even the crunch of branches beneath his feet—but it was not wholly silent. Wind whistled dissonantly through the trees, and there was a hiccupping growl that was always just beyond the king's ability to pinpoint the direction.

The king walked doggedly for hours. As day began to wane, the growling became louder, and he sensed it was coming closer. He turned his head back and forth, and there seemed to be something at the edge of his vision, but always it stayed just out of sight.

Just as he was looking to bed down for the night, his path was blocked by a silver squirrel with a bell around its neck.

"You are in danger, sir," the squirrel said.

"I can believe it," the king replied. "This is an evil wood."

"Evil? Nay, you stand merely in the boundary between the fair wood you have passed through and the enchanted wood before you. It is the boundary where the danger lies. There are shadows lingering here. If you bed on the ground, you will be consumed."

"Then I will have no rest tonight." The king sighed, for he was weary.

The shake of the squirrel's head made his bell jingle. "If you will go but a little further you will find a tree dressed in red leaves. Climb it, and you will find rest tonight."

The squirrel bowed to the king, and then dashed off. The king could trace its path by the sound of its bell. He followed the squirrel's advice and continued until he found a striking tree with a silver trunk and red leaves. It glowed in the light of the setting sun, making it look as if it were on fire.

The king could hear snapping and hissing all around him, and he made haste to this tree. He jumped to catch the lowest of its branches and hauled himself up into the tree. He found the branches interwoven together so tightly that it was almost a bed. He needed to tuck up his long legs, but it was certainly far from the most uncomfortable night he had spent.

Below him, he heard growling and a heavy tread as something, or perhaps several somethings, prowled around the tree. It should not have been so easy to sleep under these conditions, but the king's weary eyes closed easily enough, and he was soon dreaming.

His mind brought forth an old memory of when his son was still a young boy. A storm had frightened him, and he had sought sanctuary with his father that night. The king remembered holding his son through the night, and the contentment he had felt with his son safe in his arms.

In the morning, the king woke feeling warmed by the memory but also stirred with renewed resolve to find his son and return him to safety.

The king continued on. Whatever had haunted his footsteps the day before appeared gone now. He traveled for many hours before he found the true Stone Woods. From a distance, the trees appeared once more to be the oak and elm of the surrounding forest, only different in being shades of grey. But up close, it was clear these were merely stone copies. The earth beneath them was hard and littered with petrified leaves and acorns made of rock.

Interspersed with these large stone trees were trees similar to the one he had spent the night in: silver trunks with vibrant leaves of a variety of colors, some bright red, some deep purple, some dazzling gold, or sparkling blue.

The king wandered in wonder, overwhelmed by the vastness of the place. He wondered if his son was merely lost. In such a vast wood, that seemed very likely.

"Hail, sir!"

The king looked to find the same silver squirrel now sitting upon a stone branch.

"Well met, good squirrel! Your advice last night was much appreciated," the king said.

"You are very welcome to it. And, now that you are here, what do you seek? I know where you may find treasures beyond description, magical talismans, fountains of youth, whatever it is you desire."

"Nay, I do not need any such thing. I am here looking for my son. I have had word he is here somewhere and in need of aid to return home."

The squirrel's little bell jingled as it shook its head sadly. "Many are lost and wandering these woods, I fear. But there is a great house deep in the Stone Woods. Perhaps you will find your answers there."

"Do you have directions to this house?" the king asked.

"There is a path of golden moss just over yonder hill. It does not go all the way to the house but very near it."

"I thank you, kind squirrel." The king would have made his adieu but at that moment, his stomach growled quite loudly. He took out his wallet, and was disheartened to see only a handful of dried beans and a thin slice of hard bread left.

The squirrel noted this as the king ate the last of his food. "Your wallet grows thin."

"It has already been a long journey, and the last inn I saw was days past."

"Take heart. It is unwise to eat or drink most things here in this forest, but I know of a tree that can provide sustenance. Follow this path and you will eventually find it. It bears golden apples. Do not pluck them or take any that have fallen on the ground, but any that falls freely to your hand is safe to eat."

"Thank you again." The king bowed, and the squirrel scampered away.

The king followed the squirrel's instructions, and all was as foretold. The golden moss was easy to find and led mostly straight deeper into the woods. The sound of bells was everywhere here. The king spied several animals—hares, robins, a fox—all of which were silver in color and carried a bell around their necks. None would stop to speak to him, shying away at first sight.

Occasionally, the king would call out, "Hello? Is anyone there?" The squirrel had said there were others lost in these woods, but the king saw no sign of them. He wished to call for his son specifically, but thought it unwise to name him in an enchanted wood. If his son heard him, he was sure the prince would answer.

Sadly, there was never any reply.

The sun was setting again when the king found the tree the squirrel had spoken of. It looked very much like the tree he had sheltered in the night before, with a silver trunk and bright red leaves. This tree, however, was weighed down with great big apples. They looked ripe and beautiful.

Some had fallen to the ground already, but the king was mindful of the squirrel's advice. He set himself under an apple that looked particularly heavy. His wait was not long before it fell straight into his hand. Three more times he waited, and received apples shortly thereafter. That seemed like a goodly meal.

Cutting one of the apples with a knife, the king tasted the fruit. It was sweeter than any apple he had ever had, its juice enough to sate the thirst growing from his long walk today. One apple was enough to quell his hunger, and he set the other apples aside for tomorrow.

There were no apples growing near the trunk of the tree, so the king thought it safe to sit there. As night was falling, he settled in to sleep. For such a strange place, his sleep was deep and untroubled.

He dreamed again of his son. Before his son had gone on what was to be his first quest, the king had taken the prince to teach him tracking and forestry. They had spent a week alone together, and it was the happiest of memories for the king. He had been delighted each night to lay his head down near his son's to look upon the stars.

A shadow of the dream lingered when the king woke, and it was sweet like the apple he'd eaten. It made his son's absence all the sharper.

His heart heavy with longing for his son's return, the king wasted no time in once again resuming his journey into the Stone Woods. The golden moss continued to guide him, and he wondered how far he would need to go to reach the great house. He prayed that there would be guidance there, for he had no idea how else he should find his son.

Distant thunder began to grow at the edge of his hearing. The king looked up to see how cloudy the sky had become. It looked like a storm was brewing.

"Good sir!"

The king turned to find the squirrel behind him. "Ah, I was hoping to see you again."

"And I you. The storm coming promises to be fierce. You must take shelter."

"These stone trees look strong enough to hold back any storm."

The squirrel shook its head. "Nay, sir, they are more dangerous than lightning or cold. In a strong wind, they do not bend. The limbs up top will snap, and they are heavy indeed. You would be crushed."

The king could see this was so. "What do you recommend?"

"Make haste along the path until you find a tree growing near an abandoned well. It has leaves large enough to keep you dry, and if you are lucky, some will even collect water for you. Rain is the only truly safe water to drink in this forest."

The squirrel did not wait to be thanked, darting past the king as if anxious to seek shelter itself. The king took his cue from that, and wasted no time in following. The squirrel was too quick to keep in view, but the king did not doubt its destination.

Overhead, the thunder roared and lightning flashed. The wind grew steadily in intensity, and the crash of stone limbs further away echoed in the darkening twilight. Rain was beginning to soak the king when he finally found the tree he sought. It was again alike to the other trees he had sheltered in, with a silver trunk and red leaves. But the leaves were broad and thick, some so big he could have made a blanket of just one leaf, if he had but the strength to unmoor it from the limb it grew upon.

The king ducked under these leaves to find a dry space beside the tree's trunk. Outside, the wind howled and the rain beat down, but nothing touched this little hollow. The leaves bore down around him as if sheltering him from the ongoing storm.

He was a little surprised not to see the squirrel, but decided the good beast must have had its own safe harbor. Bedding down for the night, the king's sleep was again untroubled.

In his dreams, he remembered a grand ball he had held in honor of his sister's birthday. The king had been struck by how dashing his son had looked in the new tunic his sister had made for the occasion. He had very much wanted to ask his son to dance with him, and in his dream, he did just that. He dreamt that he had his son in his arms, ushering him through the beats of the music. The prince smiled in delight to have his father's attention so, and they danced the whole night through.

The king woke with a smile on his lips and the ache in his heart stronger than ever. He quickly got to his feet and hurried along the moss path, in the hopes that today he would finally find his son.

Again, he walked for hours, and he wondered at the scope of this forest. It seemed to have no end. The same was not true of the golden moss. Near evening, the king finally reached its end. He looked around him, uncertain where to go. The squirrel had said the great house would be nearby, but the king saw no sign. Indeed, the forest in this part of the Stone Woods looked decidedly unfriendly.

"You are here at last."

The king saw the squirrel once again sitting upon a high branch. "Is the great house far?"

"Not far at all. You can see it from atop a wall just beyond that tree. Now, I have provided for you three times, and as you are going that way, I wonder if you might do something for my sake."

"Certainly. If it is in my power."

"In the great house there is a room filled with wondrous treasures, each more magnificent than the next. In that room there is a plain stone ring. I would have you take that ring and bring it to the holy fountain in the courtyard of the house. Wash it and place it upon the limb of a tree growing near the well. Do this, and you will have the answer to your son's disappearance."

"Then I shall go directly!"

"Take care!" the squirrel said gravely. "There is danger in that house. Do not touch any treasure but the plain stone ring. Also, there is a sleeping giant in the courtyard. Do not catch its eye, and whatever you do, do not let it catch you!"

The king thanked the squirrel and then walked around the tree to see he was standing upon a slight ridge. A path led down to a wall. Stone trees and tangled vines grew all along it so he could not see anything beyond it. The king rushed down along the path, anxious to be with his son again.

There was no door in the wall and it was too tall to jump over. The stone vines were too high up for him to climb. But the king was not deterred. He spied a hole in the wall and he wedged his sword in tight. He used his sword as a step to grab hold of a vine and pull himself up.

He had to leave his sword behind. This mattered little to him, for the king could see the great house from on top of the wall, and all he thought was to have his son again.

The house was in much disrepair, and the full size of it was unknown as mighty stone trees shaded it from view. The walls around the courtyard had crumbled down into piles of rubble, leaving a great open space before the house.

At first, the king did not see the giant, or did not understand what he was seeing. Three massive boulders lay before the only entrance of the house. As the king drew closer, he saw that one boulder was a face and the other two were in the shape of enormous hands. The giant was mostly buried underground. Only part of his head and his two hands were sticking out. That alone was enough for the king to understand just how massive the giant was.

The king drew nearer. He glanced about and saw that there was a fountain set in a crumbling wall to the east, but he did not spy a tree. The fountain was on the other side of where he stood and he dared not investigate. Before him, the giant slept. Its snores sent tremors through the ground beneath the king's feet.

Cautiously, he approached. He made sure to keep at an angle to the giant's face so that it might not see him. His own eyes he kept fixed on the door in front of him. By necessity, he skirted very close to one hand in order to get to the entrance, but he managed to do so without touching the stone hand.

The door was already wide open, and the king leapt inside. Once he had a wall to his back and there was no fear the giant would see him, he finally looked around. Sunlight peeked in from holes in the roof. The grand entrance hall was littered with branches and leaves under these holes, and dust had collected in every corner. Faded pictures hung crooked on the walls or lay broken in a heap on the floor. The king could not make out the images of what had once been portrayed.

Going further into the house, he came upon room after room after room. All were in disrepair save one. A grand bedroom was prepared as if waiting for the lord of the house to return. A cheerful fire burned in the hearth, the linens smelled freshly laundered and looked new, and every surface was shiny with polish. There was no sign of decay on the walls, and the window was in excellent repair.

It was a curiosity but the king had no mind for it. It was not the treasure room that promised him the eventual return of his son. That room was much harder to find. The king had to scramble through rooms open to the darkening sky above, where stone trees had begun to grow. He had to contend with doors blocked by fallen support beams or wedged shut in frames that were no longer straight. Many of the stairs were missing steps or had become unmoored from the walls completely.

The king weathered all of this, and finally found the room he sought. It was indeed dazzling with treasures and wealth. The king barely saw it, his eyes immediately finding the jewelry tables. Necklaces, crowns, bracelets, and brooches of every shape and size, and rings so plentiful that the king could not rightly count them—all of this was laid out before him.

He looked through them all but none was plain or stone, and his heart sank. Just as he was about to despair, a noisy crash drew his attention behind him. The silver raven with the bell around its neck was struggling to rise from the treasure pile. The king saw that it held a stone ring, which was too heavy for the raven. It struggled to maintain its flight as it tried to drag the ring away.

Immediately, the king gave chase. The raven flew as fast as it could, but the stone ring weighed it down. The king contended with the obstacles of the house, but always kept the raven in sight.

So focused was he on the raven that he did not realize he was again near the entrance to the courtyard where the giant slept. He lunged forward into the courtyard, grabbing the raven's wing. It squawked and dropped the ring before flying away. The king hurriedly scooped up the ring, but as he did so he felt his cape catch on something. The stone hand had hold of it!

It pulled him closer, but the king unclasped his cape from around his neck and escaped to the fountain. Now, he saw the tree the good squirrel had mentioned, but he was sure it had not been there before. Two branches hung down like giant hands, and no leaves grew on them. The king washed the ring in the fountain, and as he did, he saw an altar before it. The altar had a carafe of wine and two glasses upon it. Upon the stone were written the words of marriage vows. It looked to him to be an ancient wedding altar, the kind used by the fairy folk of yesteryear.

The king merely noted this, but did not investigate further. Once the ring was washed, he placed it upon a branch of the tree. Immediately, a great shudder ran through the tree. The king stepped back as the shuddering increased. A waterfall of leaves fell down around the tree, obscuring it for a moment, and in its place stood his son.

What joy was there for these two at last reunited! They rushed into each other's arms without delay. After much rejoicing, the prince explained what had happened.

"On my way home, I found the road had been blocked and there was no path but through this forest. I was ensnared here and turned into a tree, save for an hour a day when I took the form of a squirrel."

"That was you! Why did you not say?" the king asked.

"I could not. To draw eyes to our relationship would have endangered you. But I stood each night at your side—"

"—as the silver tree with red leaves! I think I felt your spirit there."

"How I longed to speak to you then. How glad I am you are here now."

Their reunion was suddenly disturbed by low, menacing laughter. It sent a chill down the king's spine. The prince reacted immediately, jumping in front of his father with his sword raised. The king saw that it was the giant who laughed.

"Released from one enchantment you may be, but a greater curse now holds you, and I shall finally be free!" it said, and then laughed harshly again.

"Speak plainly," the prince demanded. "What do you mean?"

"I was not born a rocky giant. No, I was once a powerful sorcerer. Many feared my power and resented me for it. They lured me to this forest, and the magic here bound me tight. This used to be the Lovers' Grove where those of pure heart could find their soulmates. Here, any enchantment or curse could be cured by true love."

The giant sneered. "My heart is black as pitch, and I could never escape by love. But it came to me that it needn't be my own love that frees me. I thought to steal the true love of others. It has taken me many tries but I have finally figured out how to harness this power. To break the enchantments here, not only must there be deep love, but there must be commitment too. All those who have come before have broken their curse with love and then pledged themselves in marriage at that fountain afterward. Well, you can't do that! Father and son. Your love is true, yes, but you cannot marry. I have chosen you because of that. It took me a long time to realize the answer to my curse; I would find the love of a parent for his child and a child for his parent—such a love will break the enchantment but there can be no marriage to complete the magic. I can feed on that to free myself. When the sun rises, the prince will once again find himself a tree, and you, my king, will be a stone statue doomed to cry tears forever like a frozen fountain. I promise I will face your statue towards your son's tree so you may see as I chop him down. I will wait a thousand years and then come to collect you, for your soul will be bound to mine and you must do my bidding. Then I shall rain down such vengeance upon the people who put me here, the people who have left me here all this while!"

The prince was dismayed to learn this. "Father, what have I done! Better I should have said nothing and left you to wander aimless in the woods than to bind you to this evil."

The king was troubled but also thoughtful. For a long time, he looked at the holy fountain. His thoughts strayed back to the dreams that had comforted him each night he slept beside his son. He thought back to the terrible year he'd suffered before that, not knowing where his son was. He thought back to the tournament when he had seen his son for the first time in the light of his beauty and strength. His thoughts flowed further and further back until he returned to that day so long ago when his son had said innocently that they should marry.

He smiled. "My son, I have given up my kingdom to find you. I have lost my sword along the way. I took no money, and my crown will even now rest upon my sister's head. All of this is nothing to me. I am willing to give up my life, even my soul, should it bring you to safety. But I am not willing for you to give up these things, and it seems to me that there may be a way that can happen."

The prince looked troubled. "Do you think there would be any rest for me should I escape while you are in bondage? You cannot ask that of me."

"Perhaps we can both be free. Or, if not free, then perhaps we can have a moment's joy before darkness descends upon us." So saying, the king drew his son to the fountain.

"Many years ago, when you were young, you said that you should marry me. Do you remember that?"

The prince ducked his head in embarrassment. "I do."

"Perhaps your words were prophetic. If a marriage can seal the magic of your curse, then a marriage you shall have."

"Preposterous!" the giant sneered. "No marriage would ever be binding between father and son. You may go through the motions, but the results will be the same. I will be free by sun-up."

The king paid the giant no mind, keeping his focus on his beloved son. "What say you? Would you take me as your husband?"

The prince was torn. Here was the only thing he had ever wanted placed before his feet, but it did not seem to be a thing he should take. "Father, this thing you ask—"

"Is it not something you desire?" the king asked. "I have blinded myself to the truth, but I am not wholly ignorant. Beyond these borders, a marriage was impossible. Here, though, at the price of your life, at the risk of my soul, why should we deny ourselves if this is what we wish?"

"And if it doesn't work? Can a father and son make vows such as these to each other and have love-magic accept it? Would it be enough to spare you from this blackguard?"

"It makes sense to me. How can he claim my soul when it belongs to you? All we can do is try. If we are wrong, then I have spent the last free day of my life with the man I love most."

"That is what I would wish for the last day of my life. If you would desire me as I desire you, then please accept my hand in marriage," the prince said.

The king took his son's hand and kissed it. The giant cursed at them, but they no longer heard him. They had eyes only for each other. The king had already set the stone ring upon his son's finger. The prince took his signet ring and placed it upon his father's hand. The king poured the wine into both cups, and they drank together before reciting the vows inscribed on the altar.

After they had pledged heart and soul to each other, the king led his son back into the great house to the untouched bedroom that would be their marriage chamber. There, he made love to his son, teaching him all the joy and humor there was to be found in new love. As ever, the prince was an attentive and exceptional student. He had so often dreamed in secret shame of enjoying his father's ardent kisses, and wondered at the feeling of his touch in the intimacy only lovers should share. The reality was a marvel beyond compare. The king saw his delight, and it warmed his heart and ignited his blood. No lover could match the intensity of emotion and sensation to be found in his son's embrace, and he found himself intoxicated by his son's bold caresses and fervid kisses.

For the rest of the night, neither gave a thought to the potential curse that loomed over them. When the sun finally peeked into the room, it found father and son wrapped in each other's arms upon the bed. Neither was in any hurry to leave, nor would they have, save that an explosive noise shook the house.

Curious, they dressed and left the room. Immediately, they noted changes. The hall outside the bedroom was once again in good repair. It was longer than it had been the night before, opening up to many more rooms. A grand staircase led down to a receiving chamber far superior to the one in the king's old castle.

Indeed, as they stepped out into the sunshine, they saw that the great house was now a magnificent castle. Everything was repaired and shining. The overgrown vines had been cleared away to reveal a wide lawn around the castle. The stone trees were gone, and there was an orchard of fruit trees instead.

The king and prince looked about in wonder, coming to the courtyard where they saw two piles of rubble where the giant's hands had been. The giant's face was split in two, and even as they watched, it disintegrated like sand in a river and dissolved into the earth below.

A chiming of bells drew their attention beyond the disintegrating giant, and they saw animals of every size and shape, all silver in color, and all with bells around their necks. The silver raven was in front, and the king knew by its bent feathers that it was the one who had tried to steal the stone ring yesterday. Now, it awkwardly held a silver crown in its talons.

Hopping forward, it laid the crown at the king's feet and bowed low. "My sincerest apologies, good sir. It was not by my own will that I have been an agent of mischief. I have been enslaved to this giant for years uncounted. We all have. But you have freed us of his tyranny. Now, we humbly ask that you take up this crown and lead us. Will you be our king?"

The king glanced at his son before addressing the crowd of animals. "Would you have a king who has taken his son as his husband?"

"That is of no concern to us," the raven replied. "Your love is honest, or it would not have broken the enchantment your son was under. Your vows to each other are true, or it would not have broken the curse. We are free. There is little more that concerns us than that."

The other animals nodded in agreement, so the prince picked up the crown and placed it upon his father's head. The moment he did, a shudder ran through everything—the sky, the ground, every animal and tree.

The king and prince watched as the bells fell from the necks of the animals, and each one turned back into the human they must have been before being ensnared in this wood. Cries of relief and delight filled the air as the enchantment was finally broken.

And so it was that the king and prince presided over a new kingdom. Their people quickly built a town to live in near the magical castle, and were well content with their royal couple.

The king found a pair of magical mirrors in the treasury of his new castle, and sent the former raven to give one to his sister. She was able to pass through the mirror when it suited her to spend time with her brother and nephew, which she did often. The king promised whatever aid she needed—be it wealth, military power, or mere advice—and she returned the promise in kind.

Both kingdoms prospered. The prince no longer left on errantry. He was always seen at his husband's side. No one in the kingdom could imagine one without the other. No one wanted to.

The prince no longer hid a secret desire, and the king was no longer lonely. They ruled together in peace, and lived happily ever after.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my beta, El!


End file.
